The ZipGrow tower is a vertical hydroponic system that grows produce. Here are some tips and instructions for gardening with a few tools.
This video will show you the basics of planting greens in a tower, explaining how it works and how you should put it in. Make sure to keep a distance between each plant, where they should be placed facing up to grow towards the sunlight. You should have all of the materials mentioned in the video: How to plant a ZipGrow™ Tower – the basics
You should always place the black strips (called Matrix media) in a U shape facing the right side up, with the wicking strips slightly outward one or two inches. Once put in the white tower, the wicking strips shouldn’t be visible, as they are sticking out of the backside. You should also leave some excess over the Matrix media so the water can drip and travel through the wicking strip, onto the plant.
Recommended plants:
Here are some recommended plants for the hydroponic towers, including lettuce, strawberries (for more complicated farms), spinach, and basil:
What are the Best Plants for Aquaponics?
Basil is a culinary herb used in dishes worldwide.
How to plant basil: How to Grow Basil | ZipGrow
Lettuce is one of the easier plants to grow in a hydroponics system, so long as you follow the requirements, it will grow into a large and tasty plant.
How to plant lettuce: Best Crops For Hydroponics: Lettuce
Strawberries are the recommended fruit to plant in hydroponics since they don’t need many nutrients to grow well.
How to plant strawberries: Best Crops for Hydroponics: Strawberries
Mint is a very fast-growing herb that is used as medicine and appears in culinary dishes as well.
How to plant mint: Best Crops for Hydroponics: Mint
Starting seeds:
Water enrichment:
What makes hydroponic systems grow plants fast and healthy are nutrients among other materials that are combined with the water.
Here is an easy guide to the nutrients for hydroponics:
A Beginners Guide: Hydroponic Nutrients
Here are the instructions for the water treatment and how to put the nutrients in the water:
Make sure to measure out one tsp of Veg-A and one tsp of Veg-B. Veg-A and Veg-B help plants grow faster and healthier, adding nutrients to the water that they absorb.
How to use AB hydroponics nutrients
Here are the instructions for how to put the Humic Acid into the water (a black powder kept in a little red container), the main thing is simple:
Please remember to only put one tsp of Humic Acid for the entire growing system, do not misuse the Humic Acid or it will clog the irrigation system and block the water from dripping onto the plants. Humic acid improves the water, reducing algal growth.
Mixing Dry Fertilizer Into Nutrient Solution
System maintenance:
Remember to clean out the systems every few months to prevent mold and pests. Also, remember to refill the water when the water is under the triangle shape, and make sure the water is on whenever you leave. Keep the lights on at all times when the light is scheduled to be on.
Make sure the heaters and fans are on when it is too hot/cold (If you use them). The area the hydroponic is located should be at a temperature of 67-68 degrees Fahrenheit.
How to clean drip emitters (the little black spouts that drip water down on the plants):
They can get clogged with dirt, algae, Humic Acid if you put too much, and pretty much anything that finds its way into the water.
